Tracy Morgan’s new comedy sitcom is raking in rave reviews, with some hailing the series as the “true heir to 30 Rock.”
NBC’s The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins had huge shoes to fill, with the sports mockumentary being executive produced by comedy legend Tina Fey and co-created by fellow 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt veterans Robert Carlock and Sam Means.
However, the show’s first four episodes seemed to have stuck the landing, with critics praising Morgan’s hilarious performance as a disgraced football star who hires an Oscar-winning filmmaker, played by Daniel Radcliffe, to produce a documentary that will usher in his comeback.
Morgan is best known for his chaotic co-leading role as Tracy Jordan on all seven seasons of Fey’s satire 30 Rock, which earned him a Supporting Actor nomination at the 2009 Emmy Awards.
Variety’s TV critic Alison Herman called Reggie Dinkins a “return to form, both in style and quality,” writing: “That’s great news for viewers, but also for Morgan, who finally gets a character equal to Tracy Jordan in channeling his particular charisma.”
The sitcom’s punchline-a-minute writing earned praise in Slate’s review, saying in part: “Of all the series released under the Carlock–Fey banner, this feels the most like a true heir to 30 Rock’s sensibility, which is to say it’s familiar in the best of ways.”
Mashable also praised the show’s pace, writing: “The show keeps up 30 Rock‘s same lightning-fast clip, peppered with unexpected, biting pop culture references and cutaway gags that will have you gasping for air.”
The series’s casting of unlikely pair Morgan and Radcliffe has also garnered audience approval, with Slate’s Sam Adams writing that “Morgan and Radcliffe make a delightful comic duo, their shared anxieties vibrating on wavelengths that amplify one another rather than cancel each other out.”
The ensemble cast includes Living Single actor Erika Alexander, SNL alum Bobby Moynihan, Jalyn Hall, Precious Way and The Office actor Craig Robinson, who appears as Reggie’s nemesis.
“Although Morgan and Radcliffe are the marquee names, it’s an ensemble piece, in which everyone gets to be funny; there are no weak links,” the Los Angeles Times review said.
The rave reviews poured in on social media as well, with one fan writing on X, “Definitely recommend [The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins] pilot, which is full of Carlock-Fey heaters and immediately the best use of Tracy Morgan since 30 Rock.”
Another added, “The Rise and Fall of Reggie Dinkins, this is hitting home runs straight outta the gate. Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe are the comedy duo I didn’t expect, and I’m loving it!!”
“I need everyone to clock in,” a third viewer wrote on X, adding, “this show is so funny. tracy morgan and daniel radcliffe i have been charmed by you.”
Episodes of The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins are available to stream on Peacock.